MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR MECHANISMS OF HEART DISEASE This revised training grant renewal application describes a Cardiology research training program at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School that will provide successful applicants with research training in basic molecular biology and physiologically-oriented research laboratories. These laboratories offer research experience in cardiovascular medicine, broadly including endothelial-blood cell interactions; vascular smooth muscle proliferation in response to mechanical and immunologically-mediated injury; cell growth and differentiation, myocardial cell viability based on membrane function and intracellular metabolism; receptor isolation, characterization, cloning, and expression; intracellular signaling, gene cloning and cell transfection; molecular genetics studies aimed at the elucidation of genes responsible for specific cardiovascular disorders; and gene therapy. Health outcomes and epidemiological research opportunities exist in this program at the University of Texas-Houston School of Public Health. We believe that a coordinated and broad training program that provides trainees with research training opportunities in physiologically and clinically oriented research laboratories and in basic molecular biology and immunology laboratories, as well as in health outcomes research opportunities is available in this program. The principal faculty involved in the training program consists of senior, NIH-funded basic scientists and clinical investigators. The Principal Investigator and Director of the training program, the new faculty added to the training program, and the new organization of this competitive renewal reflect expansion and continued effort of the training program into cardiovascular molecular biology and health outcomes research with the expectation of integrating basic molecular biology and clinically oriented research to provide a comprehensive training program in cardiovascular science.